Who You Are
by Rurouni Tyriel
Summary: (ONE-SHOT) Having lived a lie, Longshadow contemplates his false memories after joining the League and wonders about his real past. He receives comfort from a most unlikely couple of sources, and learns what really defines him as a hero.


**Disclaimer:  
**I don't own the Justice League, though I wish I did. Or maybe just the hot kryptonian blondes. Oh yeah. Them, a tropical island, and some coconut oil. Swimsuits optional.

**Summary:  
**Having lived a lie, Longshadow contemplates his false memories after joining the League and wonders about his real past. He receives comfort from a most unlikely couple of sources, and learns what really defines him as a hero. Also includes a glimpse into the Question's musings on this organization and how the Ultimen have helped provide him with a few answers... and many more questions. Takes place just after the events of 'Ultimatum' and contains countless references to 'Fearful Symmetry.' Rated PG-13 just to be on the safe side.

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Life never seemed quite so beautiful until you realized how very little of it you had left.

When your time was limited you took joy in the little things in life, you lived to the fullest whether your realized it or not. Each meal became all the more delicious because it could become your last. Each handshake lingered just a little longer, knowing it could be your last chance to see your friends.

Even the stars twinkled that much more brightly out in the void.

"Enjoying the view?"

Longshadow glanced up suddenly, surprised, but relaxed as he saw it was only Supergirl. The pretty blonde kryptonian floated down to join him where he was, leaning against the railing, peering out at the void. It was long past the Watchtower's 'late hours' but he hadn't been able to sleep in his room. So he'd decided to take a view of the stars while he let his thoughts sort out themselves.

"Actually yeah, I am," he replied, offering her his hand. She shook is, and he smiled. She had a very firm grip. Not a surprise, given her heritage. He was fortunate his grip wasn't anything to laugh about either, else she might've crushed his bones. "Got a lot on my mind lately. What brings you here, Supergirl?"

To his surprise, she laughed at that. "Please, call me Kara. We're all super friends up here."

"Oh... oh, alright Kara," he replied shyly.

"Actually I'm on vacation. High school's out so Ma and Pa let me stay up as long as I want. And I decided I might as well hang out here in case somebody needs me to whoop bad guy... so what about you, Mr. Tall and Mysterious?" she asked mischievously.

"Just... thinking really," he said, turning back to face the clear window and the stars beyond. "Got a lot on my mind lately."

Her expression softened a little. "Yeah, I heard about what happened. Clones and genetic manipulation and government conspiracies. That'd ruin anyone's day."

He chuckled at that. Supergirl was starting to remind him of Shifter, with her take-no-prisoner's attitude and silly joking. And in a sense, that comforted him. He'd been missing the rest of the Ultimen, even if he was finally happy to join the Justice League. But it was the little things he'd taken for granted that he missed now. Downpour's whining, Shifter's wise-cracking, Wind Dragon's ego. Little things. Things he hadn't noticed until now.

"Certainly ruined mine... and maybe a lot more than that," he replied.

"At least your clones weren't active," said Supergirl, trying to look on the bright side of things. She didn't want -another- brooder in the League. How many did they have now anyway? Batman, Orion, Aquaman, J'onn, Question, Waverider. Geez, some people really needed to lighten up. "Mine sure as hell was."

"You were cloned?" he asked, somewhat surprised.

"Yeah. Actually Question seems to think that Max Lords and that stupid... er..." she stopped, glancing around. Probably better not to use that sort of language. Especially not in a state-of-the-art station with monitoring devices and a cousin with super-hearing. "... woman..." she settled on "have a connection to his big conspiracy theory about a group that pretty much runs the world. The people who cloned me."

He took a moment to absorb that. And he thought -he'd- had it rough.

"So you fought this clone of yours?" Longshadow asked.

"... yeah," she replied with a sigh. "But then the whole place went nuclear and we lost her... I don't think she made it."

"You don't sound very happy," he commented.

"I'm not. I mean, part of me is, 'cause she was like... part of me, you know? She was a clone and she was psychotic and worked for these government jerks but she wasn't all bad, she had a conscience... and we were kinda linked. Like sisters or twins almost..."

She sighed again, leaning against the railing same as him, peering out at the stars. "I dunno, I just wish I could've done something for her. Maybe she wasn't so bad, could've been brought around to join us too."

"I think I know what you mean," he replied after a long moment.

"Do you? 'cause I'm not even sure I do," she said with a giggle. He chuckled at that.

"No really I do... when we found our own clones we couldn't destroy them either... maybe because of that same connection. I mean, they made your skin crawl but still..."

"... yeah. I understand. I doubt anyone else here does though. Well, 'cept maybe Supes."

"Superman has a clone too?" asked Longshadow. Now -this- was a surprise.

Actually, thinking more deeply about it, it wasn't all that big of a surprise. Whoever these people were, they wanted living weapons. And if they would clone Supergirl to make a powerful living weapon, why wouldn't they also make a clone of... arguably... the strongest being on Earth?

"Yeah, sure he does..." said Supergirl, unaware of his inner musings. "I thought Wonder Woman said you and her met him during a patrol a week or so back?"

"Bizarro?!" said Longshadow, startled and more than a little shocked. "Bizarro is Superman's clone?!"

"Yup. Not a very good one, obviously..."

"... I'll say..."

"… but in a way that makes it easier on my 'cuz. Kinda harder to fight something that's almost you than to fight something that clearly isn't."

He sighed at that. "It's all so much to take in... in just a short amount of time."

"Believe me I know. Oh, word of advice? Steer clear of the Question if you know what's good for you. That guy'll run conspiracy theories around you until you're so paranoid you're scared to eat your French fries."

He chuckled, but took her suggestion to heart. The Leaguers on the whole -were- friendly but someone of them scared him. The Question in particular, and even Batman on occasion. "Yeah, I guess so..." he said, trailing off.

She tilted her head, glancing at him. "Something else?"

"Just... well I dunno... it's hard to explain."

"Try me," she said. "I've got a bit before J'onn needs me to go take out some jewelry thieves."

"I'm just... disoriented, you know? I find out I'm just a genetic... creation... that I was grown in a test tube. And I have all these memories of my life and... and none of them ever really happened. I never had a mother, I never had a father... it was just implanted memories and actors. And... I dunno, I'm just... I'm just really confused right now," he said morosely.

She patted him on the shoulder. "It's okay big guy."

"But I don't even know who I really am anymore."

"Well, if you want some advice from me..." she said, making a dramatic pause and then giggling "You're out of luck because I'm not the brightest blonde to wear the cape. But I am here for you if you want, Longshadow. We all are. Despite what you might've heard about the League from your superiors or maybe even the media, we're all like family up here."

He smiled at that. Family. That was another issue. "Thanks Kara... but there's still a lot about this I need to work out for myself."

"I understa..." she started to say, then stopped in mid-sentence. "Oh, excuse me, J'onn's calling... crisis in Metropolis. Gotta run."

Longshadow nodded and gave her a shy smile, then turned back to his brooding, facing out the window. Still thinking about his past. How it was all a lie, how he had memories of his father and his mother and none of it was real.

"Hey."

Longshadow glanced up. Supergirl was hovering a few feet down the corridor, giving a cocky smirk.

"Care to join me?"

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Project Cadmus.

A name, and little else other than it was a project designed to construct a popular team of superheroes for public display and profit. Heroes they could control, unlike the Justice League. However, it was more than just a name, and a lot could be surmised over what they'd learned over the past week or so.

Certainly fit the pattern, thought the Question, adding the name to his vast collection of information. Fit the pattern exactly as Hardcastle had described it. So this... organization... they were indeed preparing for a war against the superhuman population, fighting fire with fire, and already working to try and discredit the league with their cheap media shots at their reputations. So far with little success. But if that didn't work they'd probably start becoming more dangerous. Perhaps even try to eliminate the League with more unsavory methods. Assassination and the like. Or worse, insert a traitor into the League. Nothing to obvious of course, after the Thanagarian invasion most of the Leaguers were a little more realistic when they'd invited others to join them. The betrayal by one of their own, Hawkgirl, was still fresh in their minds.

Which was, of course, why the Question had planting a homing patch on Longshadow's costume during their initial meeting. His laptop, open, showed him where the newest member of the League was. Not entirely to his surprise, he saw he was with Kara (who he'd also tagged in such a manner) and they were in Metropolis. Well and good. Perhaps Longshadow wasn't a traitor... certainly the Question had found no evidence of it yet. But then again, perhaps he was a traitor of a more insidious nature... one that didn't even know what he was doing until it was too late. He'd already had a great deal of his life's memories simply implanted... what would have stopped his superiors from implanting command codes as well? Brainwashing him, in effect, to do damage later on.

Turning his thoughts away from the possibility of a traitor, at least for now, the Question focused on another thread of his ever-unraveling mystery.

Volcana had been the first attempt at a metahuman under the control of the government. Then the Royal Flush Gang, before the Joker had interfered. Likely if he hadn't they would have become the Ultimen instead of this new group. Supergirl's clone, and now these Ultimen. Whoever these people were, they were determined. They'd had no less than four failures that the Question was aware of, and possibly more. Volcana was a super villain criminal, the Royal Flush Gang were a bunch of thieves, Supergirl's clone had blown her cover, and the Ultimen were (quite literally) falling apart, mentally and physically. Yet the organization did not seem willing to give up their hopes of creating a powerful force for their own side, even after meeting failure after failure.

And -that- led to still another thread he'd been trying to tie up for a while now.

Bizarro. Another clone, no less, created (according to Superman) by Lex Luthor and programmed to believe he was, indeed, Superman himself. Obviously he was a complete and utter failure, his DNA having been mixed with humans. Th Question suspected this was an attempt of its creators to weed out the kryptonite weakness. In that regard at least Bizarro was not a failure. But the project had been destroyed by Superman and Bizarro himself before Luthor could get any tangible results besides the failed clone. Now it was simple another superhuman menace. And considering he was dumb as a brick and twice as ugly, he was no real threat or concern to the Justice League (considered only a Beta-Class threat), though of course they made an effort to halt his deeds whenever they got out of hand.

But if Luthor started the project... did it have any connection to this organization? Was Luthor a member? Or was it simply another one of his countless anti-Superman programs? Project: Achilles Heel, if he recalled correctly. Perhaps the Question would need to speak to Lex Luthor sometime in the near future. See if he had really reformed, as he said he had. Doubtful. Some people never changed. Even if he had, perhaps he knew something. The Question highly doubted Luthor would be forthcoming with such damning information but he could be... very... persuasive. Part of his natural charm. He wished he'd had a better chance to use it on General Hardcastle but he didn't want to risk alienating Green Arrow and Supergirl (not that either liked him much anyway) with his preferred methods. And now, of course, the good General was beyond his reach.

"And you're not the only one I need a word with," remarked the Question to himself as he peered up at the many tagged up newspaper clippings on his wall. One, in particular, he noticed. He'd tagged it up only a day or two ago, making the appropriate connection to others along the wall. 'Superheroes to Superzeros,' was the headline. A report on the capture of the Ultimen. And, in one of the small pictures, the image of Maxwell Lord, their sponsor... and the mysterious dark woman who'd accompanied him. They were both circled in black ink, making them stand out, though the Ultimen had the majority of the image. Little effort on his part had identified her as Amanda Waller. Batman had helped him out with that, although he'd abandoned the project and more or less dumped it into the Question's lap early on. Not that he was complaining mind you, but the Question wanted to know why.

Batman's response?

"She knows who I am, Vic," he'd said. It'd been common knowledge between the two of them who the other one was. Both were expert investigators and paranoid in the extreme. "I can't risk her exposing me by digging too closely to this. If I do she'll reveal who I am to the world."

"Bringing all those close to you into considerable danger," the Question had replied. "Including but not limited to Mr. Greyson, Ms. Gordon, Mr. Drake and... Mr. Pennyworth, yes?"

"Exactly."

And so the Batman had backed down, had given the mission and all of his information on it to the Question. The animosity the two had held for one another had vanished in light of these new circumstances. And now they were working together to solve a greater mystery. Who were these people? Even Maxwell Lord and his accomplice were small fish in the grander scheme of things. Who were their superiors? How was Luthor involved in all of this? Who else was involved? Anyone in the League?

The Question sighed behind his faceless mask. His name had been well earned indeed. For every answer it found, it seemed to him, a dozen more questions would arise in its place.

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It still never failed to amaze Supergirl how downright -dumb- some people could be. Even in this day and age, when the Justice League patrolled the skies and heroes could be found in every city and country, some people were still dumb enough to try and break the law. If they had superpowers and thought they stood a chance against the League, Kara might've been able to understand it. But these were ordinary low-tech thieves with less brains put together than a cantaloupe. Dumb, dumb, dumb.

Supergirl let loose a blast of heat vision in front of the truck and a little to the left. They swerved to the right along the empty highway to avoid it, not slowing down. She smirked. That had been a warning shot.

_Be careful Supergirl. That truck is carrying radioactive elements. Above all, we can't afford to see it damaged._

"I hear ya," she replied aloud. She could've just thought a response back to J'onn but she was still getting used to the idea of telepathy. Just made it easier if she spoke aloud. Plus, it was for Longshadow's benefit. He was currently held in her arms as they soared above the open highway. Behind the truck was a long string of police cars, but they were hesitant to make a move just yet. They were leaving it up to the superheroes to do something without damaging the truck.

"How do you enjoy rough landings?" she asked as she zipped along through he air at a faster pace, hoping to out-do the truck's speed.

"I can take 'em," he replied, understanding her plan with little difficulty.

"Then... heave... ho!" she cried, and with little effort on her part tossed the much larger, heavier Longshadow up through the air to land roughly before the truck. As he found himself catapulted through the air he changed, grew to great size and landed on two feet easily the size of trucks, stretching out a palm to catch the truck as it slammed fully into him, though very careful not to break it or let it turn on its side. Finally, it came to a stop.

Longshadow shifted back into his regular size, dropping down to the ground as Supergirl zipped around the side and grabbed the door to the truck, wrenching it off and hurling it clear over her head to slam into the ground nearby. However, as she stuck her pretty blonde head inside there came the sounds of gunshots and she staggered backwards.

"Supergirl!" cried out Longshadow, coming to her aide... and immediately skidded to a stop when she didn't have so much as a scratch on her healthy tanned skin.

"Idiots," she grumbled, reaching inside again. More bullet-shots rang out, then a rather distinct 'crunch' as Supergirl crushed the driver's pathetic little pistol, tossing it onto the road behind her. It's former owner followed soon after. And of course by this time the police had arrived and they took him and his accomplices (who wisely chose not to put up a fight) and handcuffed them.

"Well, that was fun..." remarked Supergirl, rubbing her knuckles. For effect really, she hadn't put much strength into those punches. If she had they wouldn't have needed a police car, they'd've needed a hearse. Her self-restraint was admirable.

"I guess," he replied quietly, not really hearing her.

"Something wrong?"

"Nah just thinking of Wind Dragon... he would've loved to be here," he said. "This was his element... all of ours really. Fighting crime. We don't know any other life really."

"But this is the best life!" she said excitedly. "Rescuing people's lives, flying, beating up bad guys... I wouldn't trade it for anything!"

"Yeah... yeah I guess you're right," he said, forcing a smile onto his face. He didn't voice aloud that his real opinions were otherwise, however. He would've traded all of his power for a real mom and dad. For memories that weren't a lie. Maybe... maybe even a chance at a normal life. He did enjoy helping people, to be sure, but like all the Ultimen he'd been a celebrity and in some ways that had separated them.

But he didn't say any of that. Not now, not to her. Supergirl was nice and definitely a good friend to have but he barely knew her. And to make matters worse, he barely knew himself either.

"J'onn, care to give us a pick-up?" asked Kara, placing a hand to her ear to speak into her communication device. All the League members had one. It kept them in constant contact regardless of distance... though a number of sources could and would interfere with it. It couldn't be avoided.

"Certainly," replied the Martian.

For a few seconds nothing happened, then both Supergirl and Longshadow were engulfed in a bright blue-white glow and then, seconds later when it faded, they were both back up in the Watchtower orbiting around the Earth.

"Wow..." murmured Longshadow. He hadn't quite gotten used to the system yet. Still, at least he didn't get sick like Booster Gold.

"Well I'd love to stay and chat Longshadow but I gotta pillow with my name on it to hit... see you around," sad Supergirl, tossing off a silly salute to Longshadow, who stepped off the transported. She then turned to the technician and said "Kansas please. First class if possible."

The young man on duty, well used to Kara's cracks by now, obligingly beamed her down to the Kent Farm, leaving Longshadow alone. Well, not entirely alone, the Watchtower was always filled with heroes between missions taking care of a variety of tasks or just relaxing, but he didn't really have anyone to talk to now. No one to confide in. Wonder Woman was still on a mission to Kasnia with their Queen, and he didn't really know any of the other Leaguers all that well to just strike up a conversation.

Sighing, he headed out of the main hall and down the corridor towards the living quarters. The Watchtower, in addition to being the working headquarters of the Justice League and their protective fortress also served as a home to many of the League who were orphans, exiles, or otherwise out-of-towners. J'onn and Diana, in particular, had rooms set up along the corridor, as well as a room between them that had been respectfully left unoccupied ever since the initial construction of the Watchtower. Longshadow had no idea who it was for or who it had belonged to, but nobody really talked about it much, and he didn't want to stir up any trouble by asking. So he passed it, pass along the rooms of the Question, Orion, Barda and Mr. Miracle, Booster Gold's, Waveriders, and all the way down to the most recent room... his own.

It was a simple room, all things considered. Bed, dressed (filled with some synthetic copies of his uniform) and facilities in case he had nature's call or needed a shower. Nothing personal, he'd left behind all his real property behind when he'd left the Ultimen. And any personal effects he'd had... were really mementos of a life he'd never really lived. All lies.

Sighing, Longshadow made his way to the sink, pouring some water out and splashing it in his face to try and calm down a fraction. When he finished, he lifted his head, and looked into the mirror.

"Who are you really?" he asked himself, speaking to his reflection. "You don't know... neither of us do. We thought we did but it... it was all a lie. None of it was true. Dad... Mom..."

None of it had been true. All implanted memories. All he knew now really was his name and Project Cadmus.

And nothing else but lies. How could he build an identity on top of lies? Who was he?

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"Longshadow."

The aforementioned native American whirled around in utter surprise as the cool, collected voice pierced through the utter silence of his quarters, and he turned to see J'onn standing in the doorway. The _closed_ doorway, no less. As he watched, the Martian phased himself the rest of the way through and into Longshadow's quarters, resuming solidity before him.

"J'onn... uhm... is something...?"

"There is nothing amiss," replied the Martian quietly. Then, with a gentle smile he added, "Not with Earth, at least. I was going to take a nap, however, and I sensed a great deal of turmoil coming from this place. Are you troubled?"

"... yeah," replied Longshadow reluctantly. Wouldn't really matter if he lied to a telepath.

"Want to talk about it?"

"Nothing to talk about," he replied, turning his back to the Martian. "I'll deal with it on my own."

"Take heart, young hero," said J'onn, placing a comforting hand on the much bigger, broader shoulders of the native American hero. "You and your friends have done much good in the world. Even if the people you served were evil, that has not changed."

"But... but I don't even know who I am," said Longshadow. "I have all these memories of my life and they're all a lie... I wasn't with my mother when she died... hell I don't even have a mother! I was born in a test tube... and the only reason I don't know it is because of all these false memories in my head."

J'onn was silent to that for a moment. When next he spoke, it was with utter sincerity. "Longshadow I wish to tell you something. On my home world of Mars I was... well... a Manhunter. Like a policeman, you could say. I worked to settle disputes and find those few criminals in my Martian Cities and bring them to justice. But I too questioned myself at times. In particular I once asked my father why every day I continued to go out into the field."

"And what did he say?" asked Longshadow, picking up on the story.

"He said I had the heart of a hero. That it was simply not in my nature to sit on the sidelines and watch evil unfold, I had to fight it. I had to do something about it. Since coming to Earth, I have seen others with the same sort of heart. Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman... and many more. Many of whom are among us today," he added. "... and I see such a heart in you as well, Longshadow."

Heart of a hero. Longshadow placed his hand over his chest, feeling his heart. It beat with a consistent, steady rythem underneath his hand.

"They may have crafted you from science and filled your mind with memories... but they cannot taint your heart, Longshadow. That, more than anything else, knows who you are. It's telling you right now."

A relaxing calm spread over Longshadow and for the first time in days the darkness that had enshrouded his life was lifted. His purpose was restored, his confidence regained. The demons of bitterness and uncertainty lingered on the fringes of his consciousness but for now they were gone and he had a renewed sense of self. He smiled broadly, and J'onn returned it.

"You should also know that tomorrow I have you scheduled for a trip to the medical bay. We have some of the finest medical people in the world working alongside us, Longshadow. I cannot guarantee anything, but we shall not rest until we have at least attempted to find a cure for your condition."

"Thanks... that means a lot."

"Sleep well, Longshadow," said J'onn, turning back towards the door.

"Thanks J'onn," he replied, as the Martian Manhunter slipped through the door once more like a ghost and vanished from sight.

Relieved, Longshadow lay back down on his bed and drifted off into a relaxing sleep. Tomorrow he'd arise a new man. It didn't matter any more that his memories were lies. It didn't matter anymore that his lifespan was now measured in days and weeks rather than years and decades. It didn't matter that he'd never had a mother... he loved her all the same. And her spirit, in a sense, was still with him. And always would be. Tomorrow, Longshadow would awaken, and the forces of evil would quake as the power of the forces of truth and justice grew ever stronger.

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**Author's Notes:  
**I couldn't resist the Superfriends crack. I'm soooo very sorry. But Ultimen was so chalk full of 'em I couldn't help myself. Bizarro is indeed Superman's clone, from back in the old Superman TAS series. Some newcomers to the DCAU might not've known that. Luthor's Project: Achilles' Heel was seen of course in every endeavor of Lex to rid himself of Superman back in TAS, and was referred to by name in 'Legacy.' The names recited by the Question connected to Batman are of course the true identities of Nightwing, Batgirl, Robin and the last name of Alfred, his faithful servant. Vic Sage is the true identity of the Question. The room between J'onn's and Wonder Woman's is, of course, Shayera's when and if (likely, after seeing 'Wake the Dead') she returns to the Justice League. J'onn's personal history was taken from the comics, though there has never been any evidence for or against it on the actual animated Justice League.


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